Vernors: Not just for Boston Coolers* anymore

National Onion Rings Day is June 22

Once in a while (maybe twice a year) I have a taste for onion rings. Until now. That craving may hit more often since we discovered a new use for Detroit’s “Original Ginger Soda.”

When the onion rings mood hit and we didn’t have any beer in the house for the traditional recipe, I turned to another brown and fizzy beverage that we had on hand and came up with Vernors Onion Rings.

Vernors made a fine substitute for the beer.

Woody, the Vernors Gnome mascot

In fact, we gobbled up the first batch of onion rings and I made a couple more mounds of the greasy treat.

It’s a simple recipe, and you can play with it a bit depending on whether you like the batter thick or thin. Add seasonings to taste.

Vernors Batter Onion Rings
Makes: Not Enough

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 cup Vernors, room temperature
2 large, sweet onions
paprika (optional) and salt
vegetable oil for deep frying

Method
Put the flour and a dash of paprika (optional) into a bowl and create a well in the center. Pour the Vernors into the well; whisk until smooth
Let batter rest for up to an hour
Peel the onions and slice into rings, about 1/3 inch each
Heat the oil in a heavy pan (oil should be about 2 inches deep) or a deep fryer
Dip the onion rings into the batter and let the excess drip into the bowl
Fry rings in the hot oil until golden; as you remove them from the pan shake off excess oil
Transfer to a tray lined with paper towels; sprinkle with salt

If you’re making a lot of onion rings put them into a preheated oven to keep them warm (and to deter snacking) while cooking up the rest of the batch

* To make a Boston Cooler plop a scoop of vanilla ice cream into a tall glass and slowly pour Vernors over it.